Author: Sam Allcock

Peterborough Musicfest is rolling out its largest Diner’s Book to date, offering local residents a way to explore the region’s culinary scene while helping sustain one of Ontario’s longstanding free summer concert series. The 2026 edition, released November 28, features 85 dining offers from restaurants, cafés, pubs and food establishments across Peterborough, the Kawarthas and surrounding communities. Priced at $30, the Diner’s Book provides more than $1,000 in potential savings through “buy one entrée, get the second half price” promotions and additional special offers. Revenue from every book sold is directed toward funding Musicfest’s free-admission concert model, which relies heavily…

Ontario is expanding its efforts to recruit the next generation of skilled trades workers with a $2.6-million investment aimed at bringing hands-on training directly to students. The provincial government announced Wednesday that the funding will allow Skills Ontario to add two new trades and tech trucks to its existing fleet, broadening access to interactive learning at a time when employers face mounting labour shortages. The investment, unveiled in Mississauga, comes as part of the government’s long-term workforce development strategy and its broader plan to support Ontario’s growing need for skilled trades talent. The new mobile units—essentially technologically equipped classrooms on…

Ontario has approved a multibillion-dollar refurbishment of four reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, a move the provincial government says will secure tens of thousands of jobs, bolster energy reliability, and strengthen the province’s position in global nuclear markets. Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced Wednesday that the government has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to overhaul the station’s “B” units—reactors 5 through 8—in a project expected to extend the facility’s operating life by as much as 38 years. The work is slated to begin in early 2027, pending final licensing by the Canadian Nuclear…

A new entrant is preparing to disrupt the rapidly expanding mobile entertainment market. Chera TV, a female-founded streaming platform based in Los Angeles, is gearing up for its 2026 debut with a model that blends cinematic production standards with vertical, mobile-optimized content designed for modern viewing habits. Positioning itself as both a content producer and a creator-support ecosystem, Chera TV is targeting an underserved segment of the streaming landscape: high-quality, vertically formatted programming built specifically for smartphones. The company says its approach reflects a shift in how audiences consume media, with mobile-first platforms driving more daily viewership than traditional streaming…

The Village of Sayward is maintaining water conservation measures while continuing to assess the impacts of an October landslide that has caused intermittent turbidity in the community’s drinking water source. In partnership with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), officials issued an update Tuesday outlining system performance, response actions and next steps toward long-term water supply protection. The update follows a landslide that occurred on October 23 at approximately 9:15 p.m. in Newcastle Creek, roughly one kilometre outside the village boundary. The event was heard by residents throughout Sayward Valley but caused no injuries and did not affect homes or private…

The Ontario government is moving to expand Barrie’s municipal boundaries through new legislation that it says will unlock thousands of homes, accelerate job creation and support long-term economic development across Simcoe County. The Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025, introduced Tuesday, would transfer approximately 1,673 hectares of land from the Townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater to the City of Barrie. If passed, the adjustment would provide Barrie with developable land needed to accommodate significant projected population and employment growth. The province estimates the shift could enable the construction of up to 8,000 new homes and support planning for a community expected…

The Ontario government is set to introduce a wide-ranging public-safety bill that would tighten bail conditions, impose tougher penalties for dangerous driving and expand measures aimed at protecting victims of crime. The Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2025, scheduled for introduction at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, represents one of the province’s most extensive justice-system overhauls in recent years. Framed as an effort to curb violent repeat offending and strengthen accountability, the legislation proposes new requirements for accused individuals seeking bail, enhanced tools for law enforcement and investments to bolster correctional capacity. The package also includes policy directions outside the core…

The City of Brantford has confirmed the City Services portion of its 2026 operating and capital budgets, signalling what officials describe as a fiscally disciplined approach designed to maintain essential services while advancing major infrastructure and community projects. The decision follows a meeting of the Estimates Committee on Monday, marking the annual confirmation of the next year within Brantford’s four-year multi-year budget, first adopted in 2024. Each year, Council is required to validate the upcoming budget cycle to ensure projections remain aligned with current financial conditions and strategic priorities. For 2026, city staff presented an operating plan that falls below…

The University of Winnipeg is moving toward a leadership transition after announcing the immediate departure of President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Todd Mondor. The decision, disclosed Tuesday by the Board of Regents, comes as the institution begins implementing a new five-year strategic plan that will shape its academic priorities, financial direction, and community partnerships. In its statement, the Board said Dr. Mondor “is no longer with the University, effective immediately,” and offered thanks for his contributions during his time in office. No specific reason for the leadership change was provided, though the Board framed the decision as part of a broader…

Ontario is boosting its support for remote northern communities with an $8-million investment to build and operate this winter’s temporary road network, a system that delivers essential goods and links residents to jobs, health care and neighbouring communities during the coldest months of the year. The funding, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth, will support 32 remote First Nations and the Town of Moosonee in constructing roughly 3,200 kilometres of winter roads for the 2025-26 season. The annual network, typically open for six to 11 weeks from mid-January to late March, provides the only seasonal…